Clinical Utility of POCUS Hands-On Training Course in Neurocritical Care: Trainee's Perspective

Few studies have evaluated the applicability of a point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training program in neurocritical care. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical utility of expert-endorsed topics of the integrated POCUS program from a trainee's perspective.

Between 2022 and 2024, we held an annual "1-day POCUS hands-on training program." The program was comprised of a "3-hour lecture" followed by a "5-hour hands-on workshop" on the following topics: carotid duplex examination, transcranial color-coded Doppler techniques, ultrasound examination for posterior circulation, chest ultrasonography, and echocardiography. Sixty trainees were recruited each year and were separated into 10 groups during hands-on workshop rotation. The trainees were asked to complete an anonymous survey after the workshop to evaluate their opinions, which was rated using a 5-point Likert scale and open questions. In addition, the trainees were required to complete multiple-choice tests both before and after the lecture.

A total of 179 trainees (85 attending physicians and 94 resident doctors) were recruited. The median clinical utility rating scores were 5 for all topics, and the mean score was highest for the carotid duplex lecture (4.91±0.29) and lowest for the echo-guided lumbar puncture lecture (4.38±0.97). In addition, the mean posttest score was significantly higher than the pretest score (9.65±1.86 vs. 7.69±1.70, P <0.001).

Our study suggested the POCUS topics suitable for neurocritical care should integrate medical care and cerebral vascular evaluations, including anterior and posterior circulation. Our results may help to guide training courses and assessment tool design in the future.